🗺️ SUBJECT QUESTIONS GRAMMAR MAP

SUBJECT QUESTIONS (No Auxiliary Do / Does / Did)

When Who or What IS the subject of the question.

(+) Positive Who wrote this book? What happened? Who called you?

(-) Negative No do/does/did used!

(?) Question Who broke the vase?

OBJECT QUESTIONS (Auxiliary Do / Does / Did required)

When asking about the object of the verb.

(+) Positive Who did you call? What did you see? Where do you live?

(-) Negative Requires do/does/did

(?) Question Who did you invite?

1. Form & Structure

Subject Question: Ask about WHO did the action → Who called you? (John called me. • NO auxiliary did!)
Object Question: Ask about WHO received the action → Who did you call? (I called John. • REQUIRES auxiliary did!)
What Subject Question: What happened? (A car crash happened.)
What Object Question: What did you buy? (I bought a phone.)

Example / Question	Positive / Short Answer	Negative / Short Answer
Subject Question: Who called?	Who called you?	Not: Who did call you?
Object Question: Who did you call?	Who did you call?	Requires: did + subject + bare V

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule	Base / Standard Form	Applied Form
No Auxiliary Rule for Subject Questions	When Who/What acts as the Subject in Present or Past Simple, DO NOT use do, does, or did! Conjugate the main verb directly like a statement.	Who lives here? (NOT "Who does live here?")

Used when the subject of an action is unknown.

Who + V?What + V?subject questionno do/does/did

Structure Indicator:

Mistake 1: Adding "did" to a subject question
❌ Incorrect: Who did break the window?
✓ Correct: Who broke the window?
Note: Subject questions take past verb form directly without "did".

Replace Who with a name (e.g., "John called me"). Since John is the Subject, "Who called me?" is a Subject question!

1. Form & Structure

Subject Questions vs Object Questions Comparison

Subject Question: Ask about WHO did the action → Who called you? (John called me. • NO auxiliary did!)

Object Question: Ask about WHO received the action → Who did you call? (I called John. • REQUIRES auxiliary did!)

What Subject Question: What happened? (A car crash happened.)

What Object Question: What did you buy? (I bought a phone.)

Example / Question	Positive / Short Answer	Negative / Short Answer
Subject Question: Who called?	Who called you?	Not: Who did call you?
Object Question: Who did you call?	Who did you call?	Requires: did + subject + bare V

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule	Base / Standard Form	Applied Form
No Auxiliary Rule for Subject Questions	When Who/What acts as the Subject in Present or Past Simple, DO NOT use do, does, or did! Conjugate the main verb directly like a statement.	Who lives here? (NOT "Who does live here?")